Senior Citizens
How old is too old to be having treatment?
As a general rule, the older people get, the more gentle our approach to treatment is. It’s a fact that everybody ages at different rates, influenced by genetics, activity levels and, in a way, luck.
Adverse life events such as trauma or illness may impact how well our bodies cope with getting older. For example, a person who continues to do cardiovascular exercise such as walking, swimming or cycling as they get older tends to have around 50% less decline than sedentary adults.
The good news is that as people get older, physical treatments and exercises can help slow the decline, keep us active and pain-free. Hands-on treatment and physical activity are the keys to remaining as healthy as possible as we get older.
As you may imagine, we don’t get many sports injuries in patients over 70 (although we still get some!). We do see many people suffering from shoulder, spine and neck pain, mainly due to osteoarthritis, post-surgical problems and some to do with balance, posture, mobility, and osteoporosis.
Gentle forms of therapy such as Osteopathy or physiotherapy can help with pain and mobility and provide massage or joint articulation treatments. These hands-on guided articulations can often help improve the range of motion possible at specific painful joints. Treatment enables improved flexibility and allows more manageable and less painful movement.
During the consultation, questions to relevant daily activities such as cleaning, stair climbing, and perhaps how far they can walk during each consultation are often asked. This information gives us a good idea of how much treatment or exercise they can manage. We also feel it is essential to get to know the individual needs of our more senior patients in terms of their social life and mental state. We can advise of personal and specific support resources that may well be useful.
Treatment often brings a positive direction in people’s lives, promoting energy and confidence; easing pain and increasing strength helps enormously. Complementary therapies may well relieve some of the not so nice effects of ageing. As we get older physical improvements are best made with small gentle, but consistent steps over time. Treatments mean it won’t take long to feel better. Then often, momentum will follow, and positive new habits are formed. Living well and prolonging life at an advanced age takes determination, effort and time to keep it all working.
